Transitioning to a new location is the latest in a series of challenges the Albany Community Police Review Board is facing.
The board is looking for new space after Albany Law School decided not to renew its contract. When other options fell through, the board looked to the city for help. Tom Hoey of the 15th ward chairs the Common Council's Public Safety Committee.
"The law school is truly really behind pushing for changes to the scope of the Community Police Review Board, and at this point they feel that they can no longer support it, as far as space and taking care of payroll and stuff like that. So we did do an RFP. We had no responses. So the decision was made, let's bring it incorporated into the city as a department, but in a way that it would still be independent or, you know, not under control of police hierarchy or the mayor," said Hoey.
In August, the Albany Common Council voted unanimously to bring the CPRB under city oversight come January. 6th Ward Councilor Gabriella Romero says it will ensure the panel is fully funded.
"Bringing the CPRB into the city is a smart move for efficient transparency, but also for our budget, in the sense that we'll be saving money in the long term by having them as a city agency," Romero said.
CPRB Investigative Chair John Levendosky says city government, the Albany Police Department and Albany Law School are working cooperatively as the board seeks to fill a vacant leadership position.
"We have a timeline made up, and we're all working to make sure this transition happens, and we're on, you know, solid footing when we start as a fully integrated city office in January 1," said Levendosky. "So with that, some good news that we just got was [from] the Commission for Administrative Services. The they posted our job postings for our program director, and it's on the Albany website right now, the Albany city website, so people that are interested and qualified for that position, we are definitely looking for applicants. Our former project manager Michelle Andre, did an amazing job. She was an outstanding leader, well organized, proactive, but we lost her to Dallas, so she's the director for the CPRB in Dallas now."
The program director's annual salary ranges from $83,060 to $118,870 according to the city website.
Levendosky says the panel is also looking to hire city investigators, and those jobs will be posted soon. The board is also assessing its budgetary needs to present before the common council and the mayor.
Levendosky says the CPRB isn't the only city group looking for new space, and there's a lot of renovation happening at city hall. Ideally, he says the board wants to be in a safe, accessible, central location.
"And a place where everyone feels free to make a complaint and to express any concerns they might have within the city openly. So those are the biggest requirements. So we're hoping that the city could find a building within the city. This way, we're not shelling out more money, more taxpayer money, for a location once we're in the city," Levendosky said.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan says the city is considering several options.
"We'll definitely have a space for them. We understand what their needs are. We've been in meetings with Albany Law School about transferring files, about what that move is going to look like, and what their space needs are going to be," Sheehan said.
The CPRB is an independent body that reviews complaints alleging misconduct by officers of the Albany Police Department. It meets monthly.